How to Caramelize Onions

Slowly cooking onions draws out their natural sweetness as the sugar in them caramelizes. The result is sweet, tender, dark-brown onions that enhance the taste of just about anything from soups to meats.

All you need is oil, onions and a little time. You can caramelize any onion, but some varieties might caramelize more quickly depending on their sugar content. Standard yellow onions work well and actually have more sugar than Vidalia and other sweet onions. (See below for different varieties of onions.)

More important than the type of onion you choose is how you prepare it:

Slice onions into consistent shapes and thicknesses to ensure they cook and caramelize evenly.

Onions will lose about 2/3 of their volume as their water evaporates during cooking, so start out with more than you think you need.

Watch the onions closely and stir frequently. As they near the end of cooking, you might need to stir every minute to prevent burning.

Caramelizing Onions Step-by-Step

Step 1: Slice

Slice root and top off onion; cut in half. Peel and slice. Use a large, heavy skillet so the onions are not crowded. Heat oil in the pan over medium heat; add the onions and stir to coat.